What is child sexual abuse?

Child sexual abuse includes inviting or exposing a child to sexual contact, activity, or behaviour. A child is typically understood to be any individual under the age of 16; more information about the ages of consent is included later in this section.

Age of Consent is 16

When someone is 16 years old they are able to consent to sexual activity with a person who is 14 years of age or older. The only exception would be when the older person is in a position of power, trust, or authority (see Sexual Exploitation section below for more detail).

Close-In-Age Exception

Applies only to people who are 14 & 15 years old

When someone is 14 or 15 years old they are able to consent to sexual activity with a person who is LESS than 5 years older than them.

14-years-old:

Can consent to sexual activity with someone up to the age of 18

15-years-old:

Can consent to sexual activity with someone up to the age of 19.

Peer Experimentation Exception

Applies only to people who are 12 & 13 years old

When someone is 12 or 13 years old they are able to consent to sexual activity with a person who is LESS than 2 years older than them.

12-years-old:

Can consent to sexual activity with someone up to the age of 13.

13-years old:

Can consent to sexual activity with someone up to the age of 14.

Sexual Exploitation Laws

Sexual contact involving persons under 18 may only occur amongst individuals with whom there is no relationship of power, trust, authority or dependency.

Sexual contact involving persons under 18 must involve relationships which are non-exploitative. “Exploitation” depends on how the relationship developed, how the partner may have controlled or influenced the young person, or if it involved luring over the Internet, prostitution or pornography.

In 95% of cases of child sexual abuse, the person using abusive behaviour is known to the child and is often known to the child’s caregivers as well.

One of the best ways to prevent and identify child sexual abuse is to talk to the children in your life about it. The following child-friendly definition of child sexual abuse is a great way to get conversations started:

It’s not okay for anyone to touch your private parts when you don’t want them to. Private parts are the parts of our bodies that a bathing suit covers (penis, testicles, bum, and breasts). It’s also not okay for anyone to ask you to touch their private parts, show you their private parts, or ask to look at your private parts. If somebody makes you feel unsafe, uncomfortable, alone, frightened, or sad by something they have said or done to you, it is not your fault and you should tell a grown-up so they can help you.

Thisarticleby Everyday Feminism also provides more ideas about how to talk to children about child sexual abuse.

Let the children in your life know that they can come and talk to you anytime an adult asks them to keep a secret that makes them feel scared or alone, or whenever something doesn’t feel “right”.

It is incredibly rare for a child to lie about experiencing sexual abuse. If a child tells you they have been sexually abused, let them know that you believe them and that they did the right thing by telling you. Recognize the courage and bravery this took. Learn more about responding to disclosures of child sexual abusehere.

In Alberta, if an adult suspects someone under the age of 18 is experiencing any kind of abuse, it is that adult’s responsibility to report the suspected abuse to Child and Family Services. Reports can be made anonymously through the toll-free Child Abuse Hotline at 1.800.387.KIDS (5437).

Children and youth are also protected from sexual exploitation through theProtection of Sexually Exploited Children Act (PSCEA). If an adult believes a child is currently being exploited, or is at risk of being exploited, it is that adult’s responsibility to report this information to PSECA. Reports of suspected exploitation can be made toll free to 1.800.638.0715.

If you have any questions about child sexual abuse please call our Support and Information Line from 9 am to 9 pm daily at 780.423.4121.

A voluntary agreement between 2 or more people to engage in sexual activity. Consent must be clear, informed, voluntary, sober, act and person-specific, ongoing, mutual, active, and come directly from the individuals engaging in the sexual contact. It is impossible to get consent from children, though close-in-age and peer-experimentation exceptions exist for youth ages 12-15.

The advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes.

An intersectional approach to service delivery that acknowledges that the root of sexual violence is power inequality and works to reduce barriers that groups and individuals face when seeking support and volunteer or employment opportunities.

Person-first language recognizes that a person is more than any one experience and that labels are sometimes harmful. People who have experienced sexual violence may use terms like victim or survivor to describe themselves, or they may use words like offender or perpetrator to describe the person who harmed them. Terms that resonate for one person may not fit for another person for a variety of reasons, and SACE supports a person’s right to self-determine their identity and experience. This is why at SACE, we default to person-first language such as “person who experienced sexual assault”, or “person who used abusive behavior”, unless speaking with or about an individual who has identified how they would like their experience to be talked about.

Sex trafficking is a form of sexual exploitation. Human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation is a crime and Canada has specific legislation in the Criminal Code (S. 279) and in the IRPA (Immigrant and Refugee Protection Action) (S. 117 & 118) to address all types of human trafficking (sexual exploitation, labour exploitation, organ, debt servitude) There are three elements to constitute human trafficking: Action + Means + Purpose.

Any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another.

Any unwanted comment, gesture, or action that is sexual in nature that makes someone feel afraid, embarrassed, uncomfortable or ashamed. The intention of the person doing the action doesn’t matter, it’s the negative impact the action has that makes something sexual harassment.

Sexual violence is an umbrella term that refers to any form of non-consensual sexual behavior, including sexual assault, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, sex trafficking, and sexual violence facilitated through technology.

Healing starts with believing.

SACE is a not-for-profit charitable organization that supports children, youth, and adults who have experienced sexual abuse or assault, and educates the public about sexual violence.